A World Away
by TVDobsession106
Summary: Tessa Jones got swept up in the curse with the rest of the Enchanted Forest after getting separated from her father. With her cursed memories, she has no idea she has a loving father searching for her. As memories return, Tessa struggles to balance her past and her present.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: New fanfiction! Recently did a Once Upon a Time rewatch/bingewatch and an idea popped into my head that I wanted to explore. I think stories where Hook has a daughter are really interesting and there aren't enough out there, so here we are. I also really enjoyed Peter Pan as a villain, and he's got a romantic past with my OC, but he won't actually be here for a while. Well okay, he's in dreams/flashbacks so that's a straight up lie. This fic starts around 1x20, "The Stranger." Some info for you guys: Tessa Jones (Maya Gillies under the curse—don't ask where the name came from because even I have no idea) is 16. She's inherited her dad's got an accent (just an fyi for if I—lies, for _when_ I—end up throwing a "mate" or "bloody hell" in there, or something equally as Hook-like – I mean, we do learn to speak from our parents, so…). Obviously OUAT does not belong to me, nor do any of the characters. Just Tessa/Maya. Also, if anyone spots a _slight_ reference to something (let me know if you do!), that also does not belong to me.**

* * *

"Maya!" Henry called as he ran into Granny's diner.

The girl in question turned when he called her name. She finished placing the customer's food on the table and walked over to him.

"Hey, kid. Hot chocolate with cinnamon while you wait for Emma?" she asked.

"Of course. But I was actually hoping you'd join us this morning. It's an Operation Cobra emergency and I think we could really use your help on this one."

"If you haven't noticed, we're in the middle of a morning rush," she said, gesturing to the busy diner around them.

"Please," Henry pleaded. "Someone added a whole new story to the book. We could use your crafty pirate skills for finding whoever did it."

She sighed deeply, holding her tray in one hand, rubbing her brow with the other. "For the last time, Henry, you know I don't believe in that stuff. I'm sorry."

"You know, weren't you the one telling me to go along with it just a few weeks ago?" Emma said from behind the two, startling them. "Just because _you're_ in the one in the storybook now doesn't mean you get to switch places with me," she joked.

"Emma!" Henry said, excited to share the news with his mother. "Did you hear? When the book was missing, whoever took it added to it."

"Of course they did. So who's it about?" Emma inquired.

"It's Pinocchio. But here's the thing, it's not finished. The only way to know how his story ends is to find whoever took the book."

"Well that will be pretty hard to do, seeing as no one besides the two of you knew where the book even was," Maya interjected.

"Hmm. As I recall, you knew where it was too," he reminded her.

"Hey! You just tell me these things, I never asked to know. Besides, I don't even believe in this magical fairy tale stuff, so why would I bother writing a fake story?" She shook her head. "Look, the point is, if you wanna catch this guy, you have to set a trap. No one would go through all that trouble for an unfinished story. Unless there's something bigger going on here, I'm sure he'll want a chance to finish his work."

Emma looked at her for a few moments. "Well maybe that's just it. Maybe there is something bigger going on. Maybe his story isn't finished yet."

Maya looked at the clock on the wall of the diner. "Doesn't Regina get back from a council meeting soon?"

The sheriff went wide-eyed. "I almost forgot. Come on, kid. I've got to get you home before your mom gets back."

"Bye Maya!" Henry shouted as they walked to the door. "Be ready to help with Operation Cobra later tonight!"

"Yeah, yeah," she said to his retreating form.

Mother and son hurried out of the diner, leaving Maya to her work. A half hour passed without any notable occurrences, until the bell above the door chimed and a group of her classmates from school walked in. Head mean girl, her three best friends, and two of their boyfriends sat at a corner booth. They sneered at her as she walked over to them.

"Oh look," said the ring leader. "It's the orphan diner girl. Granny still putting you to work for rent money?" Her friends all snickered at that.

Tall, thin, and blonde, Penny Zelle was the most popular girl at Storybrooke High, and the most vicious. There was a reason people tried to stay on her good side. Unfortunately for someone in Maya's position, that was nearly impossible. Ever since they met, Penny believed that Maya was beneath her and therefore unworthy of her time and kindness.

"You would think after all these years," she continued, "Granny would think of you as family and put a roof over your head because she loves you, not so she won't have to pay you. I guess no one will ever love you, diner girl. Your parents didn't, Granny doesn't, why would anyone else?"

Maya heard stuff like this all the time. It wasn't supposed to get to her. But after hearing about her supposed fairy tale father from Henry, how much he cared for her, it hurt to be reminded that none of it was real. That it would never be real.

She saw Ruby walking over and decided that the woman could handle the last few customers in the diner by herself. She swiftly brushed past Ruby, quietly mumbling something about using her break early, and out the door. She didn't get very far before she had to duck into an alley and sank down against a building. She was holding her knees to her chest trying to keep from crying, when she saw a shadow from beside her.

"Now, now, Ms. Gillies. Don't waste a single thought on that girl or her friends."

Mr. Gold. Of course. He was the last person Maya wanted to see when she was in such a vulnerable state. He took advantage of everyone's weaknesses, and she didn't want him to see hers. She decided to just ignore him. He would go away eventually. But two minutes later, he was still there. She slowly turned her head and glanced up at him through her eyelashes.

"You heard all that?" she asked.

"Everyone in the diner could. She certainly wasn't quiet about it." He was silent for a few more moments. "And here I always thought you had too much of your father in you to let someone so inconsequential have this much of an effect on you."

This shocked her. "You knew my father? That's impossible. I live with Granny because I don't have a father."

"But that doesn't mean he never existed, now does it? Basic biology, dearie." It was silent for a few seconds while he contemplated what he was going to say next. "Yes, I knew him. Never particularly liked him. Hated him, in fact. But he was never one to shy away from a fight with those who insulted him, insulted his honor. He was the type of man to stand up for himself. I had always thought you were just like him, but I guess I was mistaken. I never took you for a coward."

As soon as he finished that sentence, Maya jumped up so she was almost at eye-level with him. "Now wait just one bloody minute," she said as she glared at him. "After all these years you finally admit that you knew my father, and now instead of telling me more about him, things I've wanted to know my entire life, you're insulting me? Piss off. I get it enough from girls like Penny. I don't need it from you too."

He started to grin, which unnerved Maya a bit. He looked almost…proud?

"Looks like you have your father's spirit after all. I hope the next time your classmates treat you poorly you remember who you are."

It was a full minute until she spoke. "Do you think that… maybe you could… tell me more about him? Please? I never imagined there was someone in Storybrooke who actually knew him."

There was a long pause before he responded. He was looking for a polite way to tell her there was no way in hell he would tell her anything positive about his arch-nemesis.

"I don't think that's such a good idea. Perhaps another time." When she looked at the ground, dejected, he decided to continue. "All in good time, Maya. I give you my word, this isn't the last you'll hear about him. And you know I never break my word."

At that, Gold left the alley and started towards his shop. Maya looked at her watch. She'd used up just about half of her break. She used the last ten minutes to get her emotions back in check. Walking back to the diner, she took several deep breaths to prepare herself to walk back into the lion's den. Luckily, when she opened the door, Maya saw that Penny and her friends were already gone.

She wanted to finish her shift in peace, but of course peace just wasn't in the cards for her that day. No sooner had she gotten back into the swing of things than Ruby strode towards her and started fussing over her.

"Are you okay? Granny and I _do_ love you, you know that don't you? That girl is a terrible excuse for a person, and she's so wrong about you. Granny was wondering where you were, so obviously I explained what happened and she marched right over to her little group, told them off for behaving like that and that they should be ashamed of themselves, then kicked 'em out and told them they weren't allowed back for a week."

Maya felt a sudden rush of guilt. "She shouldn't have done that. Business is business. Anyways, it's not like it's anything new to me."

Ruby huffed. "Yeah, well it's new to us. We had no idea you were dealing with something like that. Next time that girl and her lackeys bother you, you better tell me."

"Ruby—" she was cut off by the irate waitress.

"It's not up for debate. We might not share blood, but you're still my sister. You got that?" It was said sternly, more of a statement than a question.

Regardless, it made her feel embarrassingly warm and fuzzy. "Got it."

From there on out, the rest of her shift went smoothly. It was something to do, and it took her mind off thoughts of her father and what Gold knew of him. She would have to get to the bottom of it. There was no way she could go on living her life as usual, knowing that he not only knew the identity of her father, but also seemed to have a connected past. She went straight to bed after work for a long nap.

* * *

 **Meanwhile, in the Enchanted Forest**

Hook put down the magic mirror in shock. It had been so long since Cora allowed him to check on Tessa, and when he did, what he saw was like a punch to the gut. In all his time watching her, he had never seen her interact with others her age. And not only did he have to see her tormented for something that wasn't even her fault, but he had to witness his mortal enemy comfort _his_ daughter, while he was trapped worlds away from her. She didn't even know who he was. The worst part was that he had no one to blame for their long separation but himself. He was stupid to put revenge before his own flesh and blood. He first lost her to Neverland for three years, and then another twenty-eight to the horrid curse cast by his companion's daughter.

Speak of the devil, and she doth appear. Cora strolled over to him and yanked the mirror out of his hands. "I think that's enough for today. You just needed the proper motivation to get us to the land without magic. You can see her again once you've made progress."

"Yeah, you say that, but it's been months since you've last let me see her, and I've made loads of bloody progress in that time."

Cora stared him down for an uncomfortable minute. "I'd watch your tone, pirate, or you won't be seeing her again, I'll make sure of it. Even after we get to the land without magic. Now, get back to work, dear."

And with that, she left just as quickly as she appeared. Hook gave a heavy sigh before looking off into the distance. "I _will_ get back to you, Tess. That I promise you."

* * *

 **Back in Storybrooke**

 _She woke up to a kiss on the back of her neck, an arm wrapped around her middle._

 _"What's on the agenda for today, love?" he whispered, tickling her back._

 _She smiled and laughed. "Hmm. You mean besides trying not to disgust Felix with our displays of affection?"_

 _There was a grunt of affirmation._

 _"Well, I need to convince the mermaids to back off and stop trying to lure me to my father. Along with the usual lost boy shenanigans. We should start training the new boy. Ollie, I think he said his name was. He's still quite young. He needs to learn the ins and out of the island as soon as possible. Wouldn't want him being drowned in the lagoon or injured by a boar while hunting. I'll also have to find the time to mess with Felix. He insulted my archery skills the other day, you know." She continued to ramble on about whatever she could for another minute, hoping to distract his attention from the mention of her father. They did not share the same views on that matter._

 _He sighed. "Tessa, you really should at least speak to him. As much as I dislike your father, I dislike his brooding and pouting when he journeys to the island even less."_

 _"You know as well as I do that the second I agree to that, he'll trap me on the Jolly Roger and I'll never see you again. He can be quite clever when he wants to be, and he's had years to think up new ways to avoid you."_

 _"Maybe so, but you're already my lost girl," he countered, kissing her shoulder. "There's no distance he could remove you," another kiss, "no place he could hide you," and another, "that could truly take you from me."_

 _Even after their years spent together, he still had the ability to make her heart flutter. She turned around. The second she was facing him, his lips met hers. She had found an even better way to distract him, and to her delight they were unable to hold an actual conversation for hours._

* * *

Maya jolted upright in her bed, sweating. It was just a dream. Just a dream. But it felt so real. The girl was definitely her. She knew her own voice quite well, after all. There was no way it could be a memory. Her dream-self sounded around the same age as she was now. _Just a dream_ , she kept telling herself. Then why did it feel like déjà vu?

She shook it off. There were other things to worry about. Like who the _hell_ that boy was. They were clearly in a relationship, but his name was never mentioned. A bigger concern of hers at the moment was why the boy was calling her Tessa. That was who Henry thought she was in his storybook.

A certain thought passed through her head. _No, that would be crazy._ She was dreaming about being a lost girl called Tessa because of the storybook. It was not the other way around. No way was there a storybook because she was, in fact, a girl named Tessa who was swept up in a curse.

She wished it were true, and wish with all her heart she did. If it were, that would mean her father was still alive. She might be refusing to speak to him, but he wasn't dead and she would be able to see him all she wanted whenever the damn evil curse was broken. However, that would also mean that she was the daughter of the dreaded pirate Captain Hook, and she wasn't sure if she was ready for that yet.

A scoff. _It's not like I'll ever actually have to deal with that. No way Henry's crazy theories are right_. A knock at her bedroom door broke her out of her thoughts.

"Maya," it seemed Ruby had finished her shift at the diner. "You've got a visitor. Hurry up and get downstairs before the kid burns a hole in our rug."

There was only one kid that would want to see her. To tell him about her dream or not? She hurried down the stairs to see Henry pacing the length of the living room. When he finally saw her, he pounced over to her a practically dragged her to the door.

"Emma is going on some secret mission with August, and my mom has meetings for the rest of the day. She said you could watch me. That gives us plenty of time to discuss Operation Cobra."

Maya barely had time to wave to a smirking Ruby as she was pulled out the door. They ended up at Henry's castle. The second they sat down, he started talking.

"I got in a fight with my mom." At her curious look, he continued. "She told me she was transferring me out of Mary Margaret's class. I told her I know she framed Mary Margaret, accused her of being the Evil Queen again. I could tell she didn't want to let me leave, but it's not like she can do anything about it. She's the mayor, she can't exactly ditch her responsibilities just because she's having problems with her kid."

She felt bad. She had never seen him so downtrodden. Maya decided that the only surefire way to cheer him up was to feed into his cursed storybook characters fantasy. Looked like she was going to tell him about her dream, whether she wanted to or not.

After a long silence, she finally spoke. "Hey," she nudged his foot with her own. "I had a pretty interesting dream this afternoon. Kinda weird."

"Oh yeah?" He was trying to feign disinterest, but she knew him better than anyone. One mention of something strange and he was hooked.

"Mmm hmm. It was me, but it wasn't. I was talking to someone, and he kept calling me Tessa. That's who you think I am in the Enchanted Forest, right?" A nod. "Well, he mentioned my dad. Said that I should talk to him. I got the gist that it was my decision not to see my father. I guess with you whispering in my ear all the time about being Captain Hook's daughter, and then after what happened with Gold this morning… I don't know. I just have this weird feeling that I can't explain."

Henry turned to get a better look at her face, surprise gracing his own features. "Whoa whoa whoa. What happened with Mr. Gold?"

She shrugged. "Not anything bad. Gold just got to talking about my father. He claimed that he knew him, but then when I asked him to tell me anything he could, he shut down. He said he'd tell me some day, but I know that's grown up for 'not on your life.'"

"I can tell you what you want to know about your dad."

Maya sighed. "Henry—"

"No! That was no ordinary dream. That's your memory coming back! You'll see when Emma breaks the curse. And then I'll help you find him. Emma just has to believe, and then everything will be better. I promise."

She didn't exactly believe him, he was spouting nonsense after all. But she wasn't in the mood to argue with him. They spent the rest of their time discussing menial things, school, new town gossip, the like, until they were standing outside his front door.

"I mean it, you know," Henry told her earnestly. "You'll see him again. You just have to believe it."

She rolled her eyes and ruffled his hair. "Yeah kid. Whatever you say." She could see that he was open to open his mouth and protest, but she cut him off. "You better get in there before Regina finds some reason to come out and yell at me. Night, kid. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight Maya." He hugged her and disappeared into the house.

When she got back, Granny was already in her room for the night and Ruby was already out for the night, as usual. She was glad to be able to rely on routine for once that day. It helped to balance out the rest of the craziness. The second she was in her pajamas she collapsed into bed, hopeful to have a dreamless sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Sorry to anyone actually reading my story. I have a real adult job now and it takes a lot out of me, plus I always get a good idea and write one chapter then get sidetracked and have no more ideas. I actually think this could be a cool story so I'm going to do my best to keep things on track. On that note, I'm going to skip a lot from the rest of the first season and probably a good bit from the second, too. Additionally, the Peter we'll see is super ooc, but I feel like there had to be a time when he wasn't a complete shit, so here we are. Also apparently "quite" in Europe basically means "not at all" (or so I've heard) but in America it means "a lot" so just an fyi: in this story it's the American version.**

 **I hope people are enjoying the first chapter which I actually managed to finish! Don't forget to review if there's anything you'd like to see incorporated in this story, or even if you just wanna tell me you hate it! Also, I'm sorry—I always hate those authors who use italics (or non-italics) for emphasis every two sentences, but it appears as though I have turned into one. My bad, guys. Also, this a/n was NOT meant to be so long. Geez Louise that's my bad as well. Anywho, without further ado, here's chapter two! (I love myself for that rhyme, but if you hate my existence for that one, it** _ **is**_ **understandable.)**

* * *

"She WHAT?"

Maya was furious. She couldn't believe what Henry had just told her. After everything, Emma was just going to _leave_? And worst of all, she was going to take Henry with her. There were so few people who truly mattered to Maya, and the most important one had almost been taken from her permanently.

She loved Granny and Ruby to death, of course. She even considered Ruby to be her sister in all but blood. But in the same respect, Henry was her brother. And whether it was his youthful and idealistic view on life, or how he always seemed to look up to her—like nothing she could do could ever make him love her less—or something else entirely, she knew there was no one else in this world she loved more. Without Henry, she would be lost. Who would crack stupid jokes at inappropriate times? Who would listen to her as she ranted about her nemeses? Who would tell her excitedly about the stories in his book, and his theories about their Storybrooke counterparts?

"It's okay, Maya. I would never let her leave town. She _has_ to break the curse. And speaking of Operation Cobra, I'm going to go find August. Maybe he can convince Emma that she needs to stay."

"Have fun with that. I didn't get much sleep last night, so I'll be here taking a nap. Let me know how it goes."

"Of course. I have to keep my top pirate advisor in the loop." With one last smile, he turned and left to find August.

She sighed. Nothing would convince him that this curse business was all a fantasy. At least not right now. She hoped when he was older he would come to his senses. Until then, there was nothing she could do except play along and support him.

* * *

 _She was wandering back from Mermaid Lagoon after having a surprisingly pleasant conversation with the mermaid princess. All of a sudden, a hand grabbed her arm, another clamping over her mouth. She started struggling and trying to remove her attacker. She would have been successful if she wasn't surprised by the familiar voice in her ear. One she wished would leave her alone._

" _Shh, it's me Tess. Calm down."_

 _She finally broke her out of her stupor and fought even harder to get him to let go. After a few more seconds and a swift kick to the knee, he was down._

" _Bloody hell, you think you'd be a bit happier to see your own father."_

 _He looked up at her hopefully as she glared down at him._

" _You know, it's funny. Daughters tend to get upset when they're abandoned by their remaining parent, all so they can exact revenge on the all-powerful Dark One," she said through clenched teeth._

 _Hook sighed. "Can we save this conversation for after I've rescued you? I'd like to get out of here before that bloody demon comes along."_

 _This set her off. "How_ dare _you? I bloody hate you. I don't need saving! Least of all by you. I'm here willingly."_

" _That's what he wants you to think!" He exclaimed, waving his arms frantically. "This is his island, he can make anyone believe what he wants them to believe."_

" _You're wrong. He picked up the pieces you left behind when you started your quest for vengeance."_

" _I had to and you know it. He killed Milah! My one true love, gone in an instant, forever."_

" _But I was still there!" She shouted and a few tears leaked down her cheeks. "You lost_ her _, but you still had_ me _. But I just wasn't enough, was I? And I can't understand why. I did everything to please you, to make you proud. And in the end, Milah was more important. But here? On Neverland? Everything is different. Peter loves me. I am the most important thing to him. I come first. Why would I want to leave with you when I have him?"_

 _He grabbed her arm again, softly this time, and pleaded with her. "I've made countless mistakes in my life, and that was by far the greatest. Abandoning you, making you feel as if you didn't matter. I need you to know, you always were, and will always be, the most important thing in my life. I love you more than anything in this realm, and the next. I will do anything to atone. Please, just come with me."_

 _She looked at his outstretched hand longingly. She desperately wanted to believe him. But she couldn't trust him._

" _I can't," she said solemnly._

" _Tessa, please. I cannot leave without you. Not again."_

 _She was about to respond when another voice cut in._

" _Sorry captain, but my Tess is a Lost Girl, through and through. She belongs here on Neverland, with me." Peter smirked and wove an arm around Tessa's waist._

" _Stay out of this! This doesn't concern you. This is between me and my daughter." Hook snapped._

" _Oh, you mean the daughter you left all alone so you could go and kill a crocodile?" Peter sniped._

" _Aye, that's the one," the pirate said, nonplussed. "So if you'll excuse us." He tried to tug Tessa further away from the teenage boy._

 _In turn, Peter tugged her back to his side forcefully. "Afraid not. You see, you're on my island. And you've upset my beloved, so you can either return to the Jolly Roger under your own power, or I can make you."_

 _The girl in question had had enough and ripped herself out of both of their grasps. "In case it's escaped your notice, I am right here. I can make decisions for myself. Although in this instance, I agree with Peter. Dad, I think it's for the best if you return to your ship. Without me."_

 _Hook shook his head solemnly. "Tess—" he started, only to be cut off._

" _See? She's made her choice. Maybe in a couple hundred years we can reevaluate. Until then…" Pan made a shooing motion with his hands. "Off you get. Back to your ship, captain."_

" _I'm not giving up, Tess. I have no intention of leaving Neverland. I have hope that one day, you will see him for the demon he truly is. And when that day comes, when you're ready to go back home, come to the Jolly Roger." He brushed her cheek with his right hand and gave one last sorrowful smile. "I love you. Never forget that."_

 _With that, the pirate walked out of sight. Tessa looked in the direction he went for a few minutes before she felt her back slammed into a nearby tree. Peter was looking at her balefully._

" _He will never take you from me."_

" _Peter—"_

" _Say it. Say that you'll stay. That you won't leave me, ever." He pushed her further against the tree until her back scratched uncomfortably._

" _I love you. You know that I do." That seemed to appease him for a few seconds. "But contrary to your belief, you do not own me."_

 _He snarled at this. "Like hell I don't. You are mine, and I am yours."_

" _You say I am yours as if you have my heart because you_ took _it. I regret to inform you, you have my heart because I_ gave _it to you. But that is all that I gave you. We still belong to no one but ourselves. It just so happens that we share a heart."_

 _He stared at her for a minute, pondering her words._

" _Face it, the exact reason you love me is because I refuse to give into you and your ridiculous ideals. As if you could own another person," she scoffed._

 _He pouted for a few more seconds before conceding. "Fine, I don't own you, just your heart."_

 _She smiled sweetly at him. "Now you're getting it!"_

 _He stroked her cheek and brought his lips to her ear. "Say it again."_

 _Tessa couldn't help but smile even wider. "I love you, Peter."_

 _He moved his lips to hers, barely touching. "And I you, my love."_

 _He closed the miniscule distance between them._

 _And then—_

* * *

Maya woke up to the ringing of her phone. How long had she been asleep? Between Emma and Regina, she had over a dozen missed calls, but only one voicemail. Her blood ran cold as she listened. Henry was in the hospital and he wasn't getting any better. She needed to see him immediately.

When she got to the hospital, all she had to do to find Henry's room was follow the yelling. She scooted right past the arguing mothers and took the seat at his bedside, grabbing his hand. She stayed that way for a while, until Emma came back into the room.

"Maya," she greeted with a solemn nod.

"Hey Emma."

"Do you…could a get a minute alone with Henry?"

"Of course," she said.

Maya got up and headed to the door. Just before she left, she stopped and turned to look at Emma one more time.

"He's a strong kid. It's gonna be okay."

Emma shook her head. "How do you know?"

Maya took a few seconds to answer. "I don't. But I have to believe."

With that, she left to wander the hallways. As she did, she started to think about everything that happened. All this talk of belief and having faith. She didn't believe Henry's theories, of course not. But there was some part of her that felt like she was missing something. As if there was something she was supposed to remember but couldn't. It was a nagging feeling that wouldn't leave her alone.

An hour later found her back in front of Henry's room. Mary Margaret was hunched over his still form, holding the infamous storybook in one hand and his smaller one in another.

"And, yes, she was beyond hope. Beyond saving. This was her end. When Prince Charming saw his beloved Snow White in her glass coffin, he knew all that was left was to say goodbye. He had to give her one last kiss. And when he did, true love proved more powerful than any curse. A pulse of pure love shuddered out and engulfed the land, waking up Snow White and bringing light to the darkness."

Maya walked up behind Mary Margaret while she was reading and put a hand on her shoulder. The older woman turned around with a warm, albeit grim, smile. They stayed like that a few minutes longer.

"You know," Mary Margaret began. "When I gave him the book, it was because I knew… I know life doesn't always have a happy ending, but I thought that—"

It was at that moment that everything descended into chaos. The machines Henry was hooked up to started beeping. Whale and a couple of nurses rushed into the room.

"What the hell is happening, Whale?" Maya yelled.

He turned to one of the nurses. "Get them out of here."

"No, we're not going anywhere. Fix him," she pleaded as the nurse dragged her and Mary Margaret from the room.

"His heart's failing," the nurse said. "But we'll do everything we can to get it working again." With that, she walked back help the doctor.

Everything after passed as a blur. Dead. Henry was dead. There would be no more stories. No more mischief. No more walking him to school or giving him extra whipped cream and cinnamon on his hot chocolate. No more Henry.

Regina and Emma rushed to the room just as Whale and Mother Superior were walking out.

The doctor looked at the two women pityingly. "We did everything we could."

"I'm sorry. You're too late," Mother Superior told them.

Emma entered the room while a nurse unhooked all the machines. She looked down at her son's body in disbelief.

"No… No…" Regina said. As if denying it would bring him back.

Emma walked over to stand above her son, stroking the hair back from his face. "I love you, Henry," she said before leaning down to kiss him on the forehead.

The effect was instantaneous. A pulse of magic spread throughout Storybrooke, awakening the memories of those from the Enchanted Forest. Henry woke up with a gasp and turned to Emma with a smile.

"I love you, too. You saved me."

"You did it." As Regina said this, a crowd was gathering outside Henry's room.

Maya was having trouble concentrating on the conversation with all the memories flooding back to her.

"Henry… What's going on?" Emma asked.

He smiled even brighter. "The curse. I think you broke it!"

No, not Maya. Tessa. Her name was Tessa.

"That was true love's kiss," Mother Superior said breathily.

Regina was a broken record at this point. "No, no… No no no…no."

Mother Superior turned to the Evil Queen and glared. "If I were you, Your Majesty, I'd find a place to hide."

"Henry," Regina said pleadingly. "No matter what you think, no matter what anyone tells you, I do love you." And with that, she fled from the room.

Tessa had to get out of there. She needed to think. It was getting hard to breath. She started speeding towards the door.

"Maya!" Henry called.

Tessa slowed just enough to call out over her shoulder. "Glad you're not dead. I love you." She left just as quickly as Regina had.

She walked without direction, going wherever her feet took her. Everyone had their memories back. But she was still in Storybrooke. With Henry, and Emma, Ruby and Granny. No, with _Red_ and…well…still Granny. But there was no magic. They didn't belong here. Weren't they supposed to go back? If they did, would Henry be able to go with them?

With all the people the curse brought to this world, she hadn't yet considered the people it _didn't_ bring over. Peter didn't get swept up in the curse. If there was no magic, how was she supposed to get back to him? She was brought back to their last moments together, before she was swept away to another land for twenty-eight years.

* * *

 _The two figures were strolling along the lagoon, hand in hand. Every once in a while, the boy would stop to give the girl a solid, passionate kiss before pulling away._

" _So I've been thinking."_

 _Tessa snickered. "Uh oh, Peter Pan thinking? What's the world come to?"_

 _Peter gave her a quick pinch in the side. "As I was saying, before I was so_ rudely _interrupted," he snarked. "And please, don't say anything until I've finished. This will be hard enough to say without your constant interruptions."_

 _She remained silent and he took this as his que to continue. "You know everything I've built here on Neverland is so that I never have to grow up. And doing this, it would go against everything I stand for. But I would, you know. I'd do it if it would make you happy. I don't think there's much of anything I wouldn't do for you."_

" _Peter, what the bloody hell are you on about?"_

" _I told you, no interruptions!" He took a breath and powered through. "You've been here quite a few years already. And I'd like to ensure that you'll remain here for quite a few more. So if it's important to you, we could…" He seemed almost ashamed to grit out the next few words. "Get married."_

 _Tessa thought she heard him wrong at first. And then she thought she was hallucinating. But no, he was still staring at her, expecting her to say something. She was so shocked it took another minute or two to formulate a sentence._

" _You don't need to change for me. I know who you are, flaws and all. And I love you for who you are. Not in spite of your flaws, but because of them, I think. I'm about as ready to get married or grow up as you are. We love each other, and that's enough for me."_

 _He looked at her adoringly and brought a hand to her cheek. "Whatever did I do to deserve you?"_

 _It was at that moment that a purple fog came towards them from across the lagoon. Everything in its path was untouched. Until it reached the two of them. It wrapped itself around Tessa, ignoring Peter in the process._

" _Peter? What's happening?"_

" _I don't know, love. Shadow, what is this?" He called out to his loyal companion._

" _The Evil Queen's curse," it hissed. "It's come to take its victims to a world without magic."_

" _Peter? I don't want to go," she cried._

" _And you won't. I won't allow it."_

 _But she could feel it was already too late. "I love you." She barely got the words out before she was whisked away._

* * *

Tessa had to find a way back to him. She couldn't go another twenty-eight years without him. The only reason she made it through their separation was because she didn't remember him. But knowing he was out there and she didn't have a way to find him again? That she wouldn't handle well at all.

Another face flashed in her head. Her father. The only reason she denied him her forgiveness is because she thought they'd have more time. She thought he'd always be around. She wanted him to suffer without her for a few more years, just as she had suffered without him. If she had known she wouldn't get the chance, she'd have accepted his apologies and pleas the second she heard them.

But he wasn't in Storybrooke. And there was no magic. She had no way to find him. No way to forgive him. That tore at her heart more than her separation from Peter. At least he knew she loved him. The last time she saw her father, she told him she hated him. He had to know, she had to tell him. He hurt her and she wanted him to feel the same pain, but she could never hate him. He was her father, of course she loved him.

Her mind was made up. The moment there was magic again, she would ask Rumpelstiltskin how to get home. She would find her father. And they would be together once more.


End file.
